Victim shot self, police say

Around 9:40 p.m., Richmond County sheriff’s deputies were called to Fox Trace Drive, where they found John Fredrick Mack with a gunshot wound to the inner thigh. He was taken to Doctors Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

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First, revolvers do not have a safety. Nobody carries a revolver with the hammer back be it single or double action. All revolver hammers stay down anyway unless you thumb them back in the first place.

Next, semi-autos CAN be carried chambered if they are properly holstered and trigger safety is followed (never put your finger on the trigger unless you are going to fire).

They can be carried chambered and safety on if they are so equipped which is what I choose to do. Trying to fast rack your pistol first if you need to can cost your life.

Most modern guns, revolver or semis, have a firing pin block which will not allow the gun to fire unless the trigger is pulled back. This is the so called "drop safety".

The venerable 1911 can be carried hammer back safety on (cocked and locked) if holstered appropriately and sensible trigger safety is followed. It was designed to be carried this way and has a grip safety in addition.

The key words are sensible, safety, and holstered. Most likely he was shot with what he thought was an empty gun. This is the case 99% of the time.

It''s one of the few weapons I've never fired or qualified with. Don't like 'em, never carried one. On the other hand, I will continue to carry my semi-auto without a round in the chamber and take my chances that I'm not gonna run into a "wild west" scenario.

I've been in several situations where things could have gone south, (none did) and in each case, I would have had time to chamber a round. I'm thinking about the safety of others first. Still much better than not being armed at all.

There were two similar cases last year alone both involving women and restrooms. Both concerned handguns which were on safety and chambered. Both women dropped their weapons inside the stall. Both went off. One destroyed the toilet under the woman. The other fired a round through the ankle of the woman in the next stall.

I'll take my chances that I'm not going to become involved in some sort of impromptu quick-draw situation.

During my 27 years of active duty, even in Viet-Nam, I never prematurely chambered my M-1911 or my M-16, or any other weapon. I saw far too many accidental shootings. One was fatal.

To each his own I guess..

Still, I learned something from your post. You'd think that spending much of my lifetime as an Army Ranger I would have picked up on the revolver thing. Now I know better.

No problem, you earned the right to your opinion. Carrying weapons in harm's way gives you that privilege and exempts you from having to apologize.

The old cowboys did you one better. They carried their single action revolvers with an empty under the firing pin on the hammer. The old trick of loading number one, skipping two, then loading three through six. When you dropped the hammer it drops on an empty cylinder. Modern revolvers have a transfer bar so you can carry six with the hammer down safely. But to be extra safe, a double action with an empty cylinder looking down the barrel is one step beyond even carrying a semi not chambered.

Gun preferences vary based on experience, training, and type of firearms. Revolver selection should include knowing if the firearm is an style or new model with Firing Pin Block". I have a couple of Ruger Revolvers that Ruger modified to prevent an accidental discharge (AD) if dropped. With my older revolvers I carry an empty chamber.

My Kimber Pro CDP is chambered and when carried concealed the hammer is in Condition 1 (locked back with safety on).

In my work my semi-auto is chambered and has no safety, just a long trigger pull; Safe Handling is a MUST. From the holster Speed and Accuracy is part of the job training. Also Glocks do no have Safeties, but they do have a short-trigger reset after the each shot if you can practice enough to master the "feel" of the reset.